I'm hoping E90/E92 owners change chime in and help me out a bit. I currently own a 2008 Nissan 350Z, but the time has changed now that we are going to get married and start a family soon. I want to get a 4-door sport sedan, and I basically narrowed it down to BMW M3, C63 AMG, or Lexus IS-F. However, I'm gearing towards the M3 more for the look and performance, and that's the reason I signed up to this forum.

I'm looking for 2009-2011 E90 M3 (automatic transmission). Is there anything I should be aware of, a particular year to avoid? Any known mechanical/electrical issues?

Just take some time and do your homework. Everything you need to know is on the forum.

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I'm hoping E90/E92 owners change chime in and help me out a bit. I currently own a 2008 Nissan 350Z, but the time has changed now that we are going to get married and start a family soon. I want to get a 4-door sport sedan, and I basically narrowed it down to BMW M3, C63 AMG, or Lexus IS-F. However, I'm gearing towards the M3 more for the look and performance, and that's the reason I signed up to this forum.

I'm looking for 2009-2011 E90 M3 (automatic transmission). Is there anything I should be aware of, a particular year to avoid? Any known mechanical/electrical issues?

Anything would help. I appreciate the help in advance.

brother! You will get flamed quick for this one. Numerous threads here about reliability of these vehicles. Good luck. Oh yeah, this car kicks ass. I have an 08, bought it with 11000 miles. I have had zero problems with it in the 12000 miles I've put on it.

Kuhan, I narrowed down my choice to the same 3 cars. Test drove all and always came back to the E90 M3 as first choice. I targeted 09 & up due to some of the facelift changes.

My recommendation is to view lots of E90 M3's and don't jump on the first one you see. Check the rear tires, under the front bumper, interior condition and the usual stuff to make sure the car was looked after and not thrashed.

I had limited choice of e90 M3's locally so I had to travel a bit to view and eventually purchase. So be prepared to travel a bit.

Forum searches can be a pain. Plus if there weren't re-posts, we wouldn't have much of an excuse to be on the forum all day. Anyhow, I had an IS for several years and it never needed anything more than an oil change, gas and tires. It was extremely reliable but also very dull and lifeless. It felt a bit too Jap-toner for me. I only bought it because... well, that's a really long story but "forced" is the word that comes to mind. I've since moved on to many different BMW's including a couple of X5's, a pair of 335's (sedan and coupe - wife in the coupe now) and most recently to an E92 M3. I absolutely love the M3. It's been the most exciting and thrilling car I've ever owned. I've been down the path with a MB, and unfortunately, it was a very rough and rocky trip. I say no-go to MB. Put the M3 in your garage and I guarantee you'll be waking up early and looking for a reason to get behind the wheel.

I'm hoping E90/E92 owners change chime in and help me out a bit. I currently own a 2008 Nissan 350Z, but the time has changed now that we are going to get married and start a family soon. I want to get a 4-door sport sedan, and I basically narrowed it down to BMW M3, C63 AMG, or Lexus IS-F. However, I'm gearing towards the M3 more for the look and performance, and that's the reason I signed up to this forum.

I'm looking for 2009-2011 E90 M3 (automatic transmission). Is there anything I should be aware of, a particular year to avoid? Any known mechanical/electrical issues?

Anything would help. I appreciate the help in advance.

Check out the dealers in Chicago and sounding area ... there are I'm sure some that have been returned with low milage after a 2 year lease term. Or check lease busters there are some that like to get out of a lease for whatever reason.

You can pick up a good deal, just make sure to go ver the inspection reports it may tell you if the car has been tracked or not (based on parts replaced during the inspections).

Whatever you do make sure the car was BMW Dealer inspected before you purchase the car.

Kuhan, I narrowed down my choice to the same 3 cars. Test drove all and always came back to the E90 M3 as first choice. I targeted 09 & up due to some of the facelift changes.

My recommendation is to view lots of E90 M3's and don't jump on the first one you see. Check the rear tires, under the front bumper, interior condition and the usual stuff to make sure the car was looked after and not thrashed.

I had limited choice of e90 M3's locally so I had to travel a bit to view and eventually purchase. So be prepared to travel a bit.

Good luck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJunkins

Forum searches can be a pain. Plus if there weren't re-posts, we wouldn't have much of an excuse to be on the forum all day. Anyhow, I had an IS for several years and it never needed anything more than an oil change, gas and tires. It was extremely reliable but also very dull and lifeless. It felt a bit too Jap-toner for me. I only bought it because... well, that's a really long story but "forced" is the word that comes to mind. I've since moved on to many different BMW's including a couple of X5's, a pair of 335's (sedan and coupe - wife in the coupe now) and most recently to an E92 M3. I absolutely love the M3. It's been the most exciting and thrilling car I've ever owned. I've been down the path with a MB, and unfortunately, it was a very rough and rocky trip. I say no-go to MB. Put the M3 in your garage and I guarantee you'll be waking up early and looking for a reason to get behind the wheel.

I'm hoping E90/E92 owners change chime in and help me out a bit. I currently own a 2008 Nissan 350Z, but the time has changed now that we are going to get married and start a family soon. I want to get a 4-door sport sedan, and I basically narrowed it down to BMW M3, C63 AMG, or Lexus IS-F. However, I'm gearing towards the M3 more for the look and performance, and that's the reason I signed up to this forum.

I'm looking for 2009-2011 E90 M3 (automatic transmission). Is there anything I should be aware of, a particular year to avoid? Any known mechanical/electrical issues?

Anything would help. I appreciate the help in advance.

Remember to at least get something with remaining warranty or at least CPO. These cars are not cheap to repair.

I can't speak about the other cars but I use my E90 as a daily driver in NYC and have 2 child seats in the back. I love driving it and wouldn't buy another manual transmission car again if a DCT is available. My kids love it because they love to accelerate and watch movies on the screen (I got it programmed for DVD in motion). Even my wife enjoys driving it. The trunk isn't huge but is large enough to transport strollers and other baby/kid items. What is most amazing is that the car has such awesome performance and yet is completely versatile and usable as a family car.

I used to have an e92 m3 with DCT that i sold back in 2010 and had a bunch of cars since then including an ISF. I have not missed any car like i missed my M3, and last august i traded my ISF for a low miliage e90 m3 with DCT. Went with e90 since we have a little one now and another one on the way in a week or so

The ISF was nice, but the M3 does everything better imo. The ISF is a hooligan, a butcher's knife, while the M3 is a brain surgeon's scalpel. The only thing i miss in the ISF is the yahama tuned torquie V8, but in my opinion the s65 is way more fun!

I have not owned a C63, but i have driven one. It's crazy fast, sounds great, and that's about it. Not in love with the interior or exterior styling, and though the seats have better support, they are hard to get in and out of. So if you're 6ft+, it might feel a little cramped in there. Hope this helps and good luck!

Remember to at least get something with remaining warranty or at least CPO. These cars are not cheap to repair.

I don't necessarily agree with this. I was looking at a 2009 E90 (which I bought, 2008 build, so out of warranty) and 2011 MYs with the same number of miles, about 30k. The price difference was well over $10k with the same options. The chances of blowing through $10k in repairs is very low, and depreciation will level out over the next few years. Most M3's were garaged so the wear and tear differences are mostly just mileage based.

One huge tip to help mitigate the big ticket repairs: when you find a car you like, get the VIN and call your local BMW dealer (I ask for a service scheduler) and ask for help getting the warranty and maintenance service history. For warranty work, there are common things that broke like window regulators, door lock actuators, dead battery, the usual BMW BS which is no big deal. You may see DCT reporgrammings which are fine. When you see major stuff, internal drivetrain or major electronics and the like, run away.

With maintenance, make sure it was taken care of in a reasonably timely manner, e.g. the 1200 mile service.
Take your time aand do your research. E90's are a quite a bit harder to come by than E92s and 93s.
You may see some repos out there. Proceed at your own risk with these.
I used BMWVIN dot com for option information that may not be clear on a seller's description, like extended leather or even a NAV.

I will be buying a E90 M3 as well in the next couple of months and found the tips provided here very helpful in knowing what to look for and expect, thank you to those that have provided useful information.

M3 in e90 body is truly a masterpiece.
From day 1 I wanted a sedan M3, and have been happy every time i drive it.

You just can't get more than this. great engine, great power, RWD, 6MT, saloon.

Coming from cars with great engines and automatics, bad engines and MT, great engines and MT, I know that the tranny is as important as the engine/power. I simply needed a 6MT.

anyways, I read somewhere with stats that the total production of E90 M3 consists only 16% of all E9x production, (which probably is getting rarer because of '12 and '13 coupe only model years)
It is "rare", although in the area where I live (NY/NJ), I see as many E90 M3 as E92 M3s lol...

Chris Harris's take on the E90. Watch from 17:40ish, I couldn't agree more.

I'm hoping E90/E92 owners change chime in and help me out a bit. I currently own a 2008 Nissan 350Z, but the time has changed now that we are going to get married and start a family soon. I want to get a 4-door sport sedan, and I basically narrowed it down to BMW M3, C63 AMG, or Lexus IS-F. However, I'm gearing towards the M3 more for the look and performance, and that's the reason I signed up to this forum.

I'm looking for 2009-2011 E90 M3 (automatic transmission). Is there anything I should be aware of, a particular year to avoid? Any known mechanical/electrical issues?

Anything would help. I appreciate the help in advance.

I recently traded my car for an '09 e90 Jerez Black DCT. Lovin it.

Searching this forum for a few months helped answer all my questions. I've found the best way to search is to use google, and search under m3post.com. You can find anything you're lookin for.

As for me, I wanted a car with a little warranty left, and I wanted the updated rear tail lamps...also just didn't want an '08 due to it being the first year model, although I know tons of guys haven't had issues with that year.

Be aware of the window tint scratching issue on the e90's. Mine has it...looks terrible, but I'm not gettin it fixed any time soon. Also the interior trim on steering wheel, door panels peels, and if you find a car still under warranty, they (SHOULD) will replace it with the newer plastic under warranty

I was in the same predicament, the same 3 cars. After studying the cars, I narrowed it down to the AMG and the E90 M3. After comparing interiors and doing my homework, there was no question which one was the clear winner. Another reason I steered away from the AMG was the scare they have of the head bolts breaking and slinging in the head.

I've owned the M3 for almost 2 months now. I love every minute of it. It did take me 6-8 weeks to find the one I got. I had to have it shipped from AZ to NC but it was EXACTLY the car I wanted. IF there's one thing i've learned in life, it's to not settle, especially when youre spending this kind of money.

I made the same move from a Z to an M3. I went with M3 because the handling and performance was the best balanced. I loved the high revving engine vs the brute force of the C63. I found that humans fit better in M3 then the IS-F.